Program Benefits
For Your Lake:
- Cooperation and shared goals
- Cultivating a community culture
- Collective action to increase function and preserve integrity of the lake ecosystem
- Increased data available to better inform lake science
- Stronger voice: an ecolabel can communicate a standard but also provide a platform for a stronger voice at the table
- Plan B: greater capacity to respond to development pressures or proposals.
For Properties:
- Creation of a beautiful, scenic, and also functional properties
- Can prevent invasion of property from nuisance species, like geese
- Can prevent erosion and potential property damage
- Can reduce insurance rates by reducing safety and environmental risk on properties
- Can increase property values and increase economic buoyancy across the lake
Individual benefits:
- Promotes community, new skills and participation for healthier connections!
- Also supports nature connectedness, which has been shown to positively affect mental and physical health, increasing quality of life
- Can minimize the potential for environmental infractions and fines
- Can introduce people to other lakefront property owners on your lake and build social connections
No matter what the state of your lake is, the Blue Lakes Program is for you! Take a look at some of the reasons our steering committee members have chosen to build the Blue Lakes Program!
Ecosystem Services Provided by Lakes
An ecosystem is a complex and dynamic system made up of plants, animals, microorganisms, and their nonliving environment. They provide beneficial services to humans completely free of charge. These services are collectively referred to as “ecosystem services” and they include everything from the food we eat to the pastimes we enjoy. The term ecosystem service was first pioneered by the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment board in 2005 and since then, the concept of ecosystem services as well as placing a value on these services has been the interdisciplinary focus of ecologists and economists alike. In fact, the estimated annual value of ecosystem services globally amounts to an astonishing $33 trillion dollars or 1.8x the global GNP.
Ecosystem services can be grouped into three broad categories. Within each of these categories, myriad ecosystem services are provided to us.
The Economic Side of Lakes
In addition to the services lakes offer to us for free, there are also more direct economic benefits they provide. From commercial fisheries to tourism to facilitating trade, lakes play an important role in several of our economic pillars.
They also have the ability to directly influence residential property prices. Several studies have produced corroborating results to show that water health is an impactful driver of a region’s economic well-being.
Lakes provide us with services completely free of charge as well as other services with direct commercial value and they support lakefront property values. In this way, our health, well-being, and economic viability are directly related to the health of our lakes. However, due to development, pollution, and other human activity, our lakes are currently under threat. Urgent action is needed to ensure that our lakes remain healthy and intact for generations to come.
The Blue Lakes Program Pilot Study
A pilot study to assess the potential impact of the Blue Lakes Program on lake health and stewardship behaviours was done in 2018-19.
Over 56 lake associations participated and 300 individuals were queried. The report provided strong evidence that the Blue Lakes Program could be a successful tool for promoting the health and integrity of our lakes.
You can read the full report by clicking the link below!